He insisted the new season will be a difficult one for Dockery's alter-ego following the death of husband Matthew Crawley in the Christmas special, explaining: "There are tough times for Lady Mary I think we can say that."

She is also still dealing with the death of her sister Lady Sybil and Dockery has spoken about her sadness when Jessica Brown Findlay's alter-ego was killed off, because the brunette beauty really misses her "distinctive" laugh.

She said: "We knew a couple of weeks prior to filming the episode what was going happen to it felt like this huge build up. One of the last scenes we shot with Jessica was where the sisters say goodbye to her, and me and Laura Carmichael [Lady Edith] were just devastated playing it.

"We've spent three years of our lives together so Jessica going was as wrench. I miss her laugh, it's really distinctive."